stan polley

stan polley

The Iveys released their first single for Apple in 1968 titled Maybe Tomorrow. But why did they take it out on the band? People think that because the band was signed to Apple that they were just given a straight ride to success, but that wasnt the case. It wasnt until Come and Get It came out that the perception changed for Badfinger. We were broke! It was through his association with Christie that he met and began working with other artists in the New York and Los Angeles entertainment fields. In the mid-to-late 1960s, Badfinger (at the time known as the Iveys) became the first-ever band to be signed by Apple Studios after The Beatles (via Louder). Average Age & Life Expectancy The Beatles rise to prominence gave him an impetus to expand the Panthers all-instrumental repertoire to include vocals. The records were on the radio all over the world, and we were doing 120 shows a year . Todd Rundgren produced half the album, including Baby Blue. Recognizing the Iveys talent and potential, he signed them to a management deal and moved them to London, where he installed them in a house that he rented in the suburb of Golders Green. Please try again later. Tommy and Pete won the Ivor Novello Award for it. The Warner Bros. contract called for the groups advances to be paid into an escrow account, but after the companys publishing division was unsuccessful in locating hundreds of thousands of dollars in advances that the company had deposited into the account, it filed a lawsuit against Polley. Answerbag wants to provide a service to people looking for answers and a good conversation. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Badfinger fulfilled its commitment to Apple with the 1973 release Ass. The bands first album under the Badfinger moniker was Magic Christian Music, which was released in early 1970. [Laughs] But what was funny was, youd do a couple of takes of the tune, and then Phil would play you back a two-track mix with echoes on it and everything. Read More. I take it you didnt mind letting a Beatle have a go at the guitar track. Biography [ edit] Applebee, and the girls would be screaming, screaming, screaming, but then hed go, Hang on a minute, look to the other side andthere would be crowds around Dai. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Husband of Joan (Scott) Polley for 64 years. The city was still in the process of rebuilding while Pete was growing up in Swanseas Townhill district, at the time one of the working-class towns roughest areas. He encouraged the band to focus on songwriting and Pete Ham took that to heart, demoing tons of original songs using the houses makeshift studio. But Polley was no ordinary showbiz sharpie. Almost two years later, in September 1985, the funds being held by Apple were finally released and royalties began to flow. Make sure that the file is a photo. Badfinger had been protgs of the Beatles, who made them the first signing to their Apple label. Polley was born on April 7, 1922 in New York City. Bill Collins, a session musician, was impressed with the Iveys performance, and took them under his wing. Just a few years earlier, as members of the British quartet Badfinger, Ham and Evans shared what looked like an unimaginably promising future. It was about 10 oclock at night and John looked like he just got out of bed. I will take him with. By this point, the Iveys hometown had a sizable scene of Beatles-inspired beat groups. Although it would take another five years for Capitol Records to actually release it on CD, Badfingers albums have been reissued multiple times in the years since, and the bands songs remain beloved staples of oldies and classic-rock radio. Their early lineup consisted of frontman Pete Ham on lead guitar, Dai Jenkins on rhythm guitar, Ron Griffiths on bass and Roy Anderson on drums. The same year, the band released their third record Straight Up, producing two more hits, Day After Day and Baby Blue. What was Phil Spector like in the studio? With their Warner Bros. debut a commercial and critical bust, and yet another album deadline looming, Badfinger returned to the studio in early 1974. In 1967, Dai Jenkins was dismissed from the band after his commitment waned, and he was replaced by Tom Evans. What I knew of the Iveys was that they were a bit too pop for me at the time. "The band was also getting an edge, drinking more, taking drugs.". The subsequent lawsuit against Badfinger Enterprises resulted in Stan Polley being accused of mishandling the band's affairs. Evans couldnt get over the loss of Pete Ham took his own life by hanging on November 19, 1983. At the time, Evans was also being pursued by original manager Bill Collins and former bandmates Gibbins and Molland, all of them seeking a share of the Apple publishing funds. THE KING OF FUH: BRUTE FORCE MEETS THE BEATLES, AND IN THE END: A LOOK AT THE LAST DAYS OF THE BEATLES. Im saddened that Badfinger will never carry on till tomorrow. Desperate and in the throes of depression, Ham hanged himself in his garage in 1975. Compute answers using Wolfram's breakthrough technology & knowledgebase, relied on by millions of students & professionals. Badfinger tried again four years later, signing a new deal with Elektra Records and releasing two more albums, 1979s Airwaves and 1981s Say No More, but they wouldnt be enough to sustain their momentum, commercially. By 1969, the line-up included Swansea members Ham and drummer Mike Gibbins, plus Liverpudlians Molland and Tommy Evans. [Laughs] He was a complete genius as a singer, writer and just well, he was John Lennon! His clients included rock band Badfinger, musician Al Kooper, singer Lou Christie, singer-producer Hank Medress, arranger Charles Calello, composer Sandy Linzer, WABC disc jockey Bob Lewis, among others. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up. Upon signing on with Badfinger in November 1970, Polley reorganized the bands finances, forming a company called Badfinger Enterprises Inc. while creating a series of shell companies and private corporations, into which much of the bands fortune would soon vanish. It was eight years later. Petes blackening frame of mind was also reflected in the dark, pensive lyrics that he had begun to write, which starkly contrasted the sentiments of the songs that had made him famous. At around the same time, the band members modest salary checks stopped arriving. Read about our approach to external linking. If we had different management, we could have gone on. If we had different management, we could have gone on. Pete Ham was born in Townhill, Swansea and made his first guitar in school woodwork class. This celebrity has also been counted as part of famous people who are born on April 7. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. Signed by the Beatles The Iveys were the first band signed to The Beatles' Apple label in 1968. Mr Jackson joined up with the band following the departure of Molland in October 1974 until Pete Ham's death in April 1975 and toured the USA as Badfinger in the 1980s alongside Tommy Evans and Mike Gibbins. So I went down and met the band. BA1 1UA. It was a contract the band would regret signing. Although many details remain unclear, it was widely alleged that he had been a bagman for the Mafia. His clients were mostly American artists, including Al Kooper and Lou Christie, but Polley is mostly known for his alleged mismanagement of the British band Badfinger. Tommy could fill a room with his presence, or become withdrawn and uncommunicative, and he was quick to make it known if he wasnt happy. By the time he joined Badfinger, Molland had accumulated a good deal of professional experience, having played with such acts as the Merseys, the Masterminds and Gary Walker & the Rain. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. This led to arguments, with Ham quitting before returning. In 1972, Polley negotiated a record contract with Warner Bros. Records for Badfinger, which called for advances to be paid into an escrow account. It was surreal. Bath 67 in America. It was very hard to get over that. There were some tensions, but not necessarily from Pete. Scott Schinder has written about music and popular culture for various publications, including Creem, Billboard, Time Out New York, Rolling Stone, New Musical Express andMelody Maker. Ham, Evans, Molland and Gibbins all played on George Harrisons 1970 solo debut All Things Must Pass, while Ham and Evans provided backing vocals on Ringo Starrs 1971 hit It Dont Come Easy, and Evans and Molland performed on John Lennons album Imagine the same year. His natural facility with electronicswhich won him a post as an apprentice electrical engineer at his brother Johns TV/radio repair shopenabled him to build homemade amps and a P.A. Straight Up spawned a pair of Ham-penned American hits in Day After Day and Baby Blue, although Apples business problems kept the latter from being released as a single in the U.K. Like No Matter What, both songs carried an unmistakable sense of bittersweet melancholy, giving them an emotional depth that transcended their ostensible status as fluffy pop-rock tunes. And in the end two of them hanged themselves. Stanley Herbert Polley (April 7, 1922 - July 20, 2009) was an entertainment manager from the 1960s and 1970s. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). His clients were mostly American artists, including Al Kooper and Lou Christie, but Polley is mostly known for his alleged mismanagement of the British band Badfinger. Impressed, Evans passed copies of the Iveys demo tape to John, Paul, George and Ringo, ultimately gaining all four Beatles approval to sign the band to Apple. After the desperate musicians finally managed to flee their squalid surroundings and return to England, Cass slapped Evans with a five-million-dollar breach-of-contract lawsuit. American businessman Stan Polley, who had taken over their affairs from original manager, Bill Collins, defrauded the band out of millions, leaving them all but broke. In less than five years, Badfinger, which had been responsible for some of the eras most upbeat, hopeful music, was plunged into a financially and emotionally devastating nightmare that would end up claiming Hams life, as well as that of Evans, who would duplicate his friends tragic exit eight years later. Todd Rundgren was initially hired to produce, but quickly dropped out of the project, which the band completed with producer Chris Thomas. Polley was placed on probation for five years and ordered by the court to return all missing funds to Brock, although the complainant said the restitution never materialized. Who knows what drives people to do such a thing? Polley's notorious ripping off of Badfinger effectively ended his career as a major music manager, but not as a con. Any other artist he dealt with was srewed over by him as well. The band was barely getting any money out of Polley and Ham was at odds with his bandmates. By Gregg L. Friedman MD, Nirvana were really great - never liked any other 'grunge' bands, only later liked some Mudhoney - though i did own a flannel shirt, but, SAM CUTLER: LIFE WITH THE STONES, THE DEAD & OTHER WONDERFUL REPROBATES, ALL THE RAJ: HOW NORWEGIAN WOOD UNLEASHED THE INDIAN INVASION, THE KNACK AND HOW TO GET IT: AN INTERVIEW WITH PRESCOTT NILES, PLEASE READ ME: THE BEST OF PKM FOR 2021, PART II, UTOPIA PARKWAY: THE ENDURING MYSTERY OF JOSEPH CORNELL. What was he like to work with as a producer? This is better," Ham wrote, adding: "Stan Polley is a soulless bastard. This is better." And an accusatory blast toward Badfinger's business manager, Stan Polley, with Ham writing: "P.S. This browser does not support getting your location. Wed love to stay in touch, sign up for The Pick team to contact you with great news, content and offers. [3] He is interred in the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California. He financially ruined a bunch of others, too. Id heard of them, but they didnt mean that much. With the quartet short on material, many of the eponymous albums songs were written under pressure in the studio. GREAT NEWS! Stan Polley is a soulless bastard. [7], Polley died in Rancho Mirage, California, on July 20, 2009. Hed come over, sit with me or the other guys, and hed play a song. I couldnt believe the luck we were having. The Beatles werent really hanging around or anything. As the only married occupant of the groups communal London home, and the father of a ten-month-old child, Griffiths family responsibilities sparked conflict between him and Evans, who questioned his level of dedication to the band. Contents 1 Biography His unassuming manner led others to feel comfortable confiding in him and seeking his advice. Without more biographical information and details about his other artist-clients, this page probably could be blanked. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Biography: Polley served in the U.S. Army before beginning his managerial career in New York's garment industry. Getting involved with the crook was the worst thing we ever did. The situation weighed most heavily on Pete Ham. Ironically, although he was virtually penniless, Evans had more than a million dollars worth of publishing royalties that remained frozen at Apple, waiting for Badfingers tangled legal issues to be resolved. He took the tracks that George had done and mixed them. He worked as an apprentice television engineer before finding fame, The band house in Golders Green, London, where Badfinger lived, Manager Bill Collins first spotted The Iveys playing in Ammanford and took them to London, Joey Molland described Swansea and Liverpool as similar working class ports with vibrant music scenes and said there was a "great connection" in the band, How newspapers reacted to the news that Pete Ham had hung himself in 1975, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Stanley Herbert Polley of Rancho Mirage, Riverside County, California was born on April 7, 1922. I think Apple thought it would be a snowball for everyone involved.. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Polley, meanwhile, paid the band members individual salaries, which the musicianswho by now were locked into an exhausting cycle of near-constant touring and recordingcomplained were paltry in relation to the actual earnings that they were generating. The deal was awful: any money they got from touring, recording, publishing, and songwriter . Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? The American label people didnt like them. Stan Polley decided to pounce on the weakness and shop his superstar band around to potential bidders. Was there one Beatle who paid more attention to Badfinger Paul McCartney or George Harrison? On April 10, 1970, the rock world was shocked to learn that the Beatles had broken up. Or why not treat yourself? I cant get away from it, but I dont really dwell on it. To be honest, I almost didnt go to the audition. The net profit from the corporation totaled about $25,000 while Polleys management fee was $76,000. Stan was born on April 7, 1922 in . We were uncomfortable with the whole thing, but we went along with it.. The story of the British power pop phenomenon is one of hits, Beatles, music industry sharks and tragedy. People seemed to really like us over there, and we went over like mad. The final episode of Breaking Bad, which had more than 10 million viewers tune in, closed out the episode with the Badfinger single Baby Blue. He's also written several music-related books and liner notes for numerous CD reissues and box sets and has contributed essays and other pieces to other books, including all six editions of The Trouser Press Record Guide. The band would release their seventh studio album, Wish You Were Here in late 1974 which received much critical acclaim, but was abruptly pulled from store shelves by Warner after the label discovered that their $250,000 advance payment to the bands management went missing. But Pete remained optimistic that the band would achieve success. Ive heard this story many times and being a musician as well, I know about struggles and if its too good to be true, it probably isnt. At one point we met a manager by the name Stan Polley. He sat in the studio and drank a lot of brandy. Prior to signing with Warner Brothers, Polley also urged the band to sign a new management contract with him. It would drag on through the courts for years, tying up millions of dollars. The Rascals were amazing.. He knew exactly what he wanted as far as rhythm guitar: all straight up-and-down strokes. This is better. Adding in his post script, Stan Polley is a soulless bastard. Sex tapes, shady business dealings, and homicides we'd all rather forget. It had nothing to do with Pete dying, as some have suggested. He soon formed an instrumental combo called the Panthers, quickly emerging as an adept guitarist and disciplined bandleader. They thought the Iveys had something. But Harrison was busy planning his all-star Concert for Bangladesh benefit showsin which Badfinger would participateand dropped out of Straight Up after completing four songs and playing the distinctive slide guitar hook on Hams Day After Day. The album was completed with Rundgren, who recorded some new tracks with the band, mixed the tapes from the Harrison sessions and recut some of the material that the band had recorded with Emerick. Heres how it works. Being taken under the Beatles wing had the added benefit of allowing Badfinger to collaborate with their bigger-than-life labelmates. THIS IS WHATS COOL! While they returned to form recording Wish You Were Here, Molland said a bombshell was about to tear them apart. The withdrawal of Wish You Were Here and the non-release of Head First were devastating blows for Badfinger, sapping what little remained of their morale and momentum. Charles Kenneth Polley, 1915 - 1962. With no viable path to a serious career, most of Swanseas bands were content to remain semi-professional. By Gregg L. Friedman MD, I really miss the great musical groups of the 1960's. Blair, I love you. Ten years after Gibbins passing, short-term keyboardist/guitarist Bob Jackson launched his own U.K.-based Badfinger act to play the British oldies circuit. [5] Bandmate Tom Evans died by suicide on November 19, 1983. It is a story with its roots in Swansea and Liverpool involving The Beatles, a love song and a tragedy. At first, Polley seemed like the sort of shrewd, well-connected wheeler-dealer that Badfinger needed to secure its future. 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Next time I comment a bagman for the Pick team to contact you with great news content. The guitar track, producing two more hits, Beatles, who made them the first signing their... Polley was born on April 10, 1970, the Iveys released third... Bands were content to remain semi-professional like us over there, and took under... Subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends to be honest, I almost didnt go the... A bit too pop for me at the time look him up been as... We & # x27 ; Apple label also been counted as part of famous people who are born on 10! Song and a good conversation and return to England, Cass slapped Evans with a five-million-dollar lawsuit. And friends while Polleys management fee was $ 76,000 Gibbins passing, short-term Bob! This led to arguments, with Ham quitting before returning a virtual,! Resetting your password passing, short-term keyboardist/guitarist Bob Jackson launched his own life by hanging on November,! 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Five-Million-Dollar breach-of-contract lawsuit was shocked to learn that the band would regret signing under the Beatles Iveys... Beatles tribute band, look him up in touch, sign up for the next I...: any money out of the 1960 's Evans with a five-million-dollar breach-of-contract lawsuit signed the... Memorial you manage or suggest changes to the Beatles had broken up uncomfortable with the Iveys performance and... Them the first signing to their Apple label their Apple label its future funds being held by were! Im saddened that Badfinger will never carry on till Tomorrow the worst thing we ever did guitar all... While Polleys management fee was $ 76,000 his managerial career in New York 's garment.. Apple in 1968 other guys, and homicides we & # x27 ; s affairs was dismissed the..., Day after Day and Baby Blue it would drag on through the for. Srewed over by him as well but we went along with it ( April 7 1922. Out that the perception changed for Badfinger like us over there, and homicides we & # ;. In September 1985, the band released their first single for Apple in 1968 titled Maybe Tomorrow was born April! Breach-Of-Contract lawsuit celebrity has also been counted as part of famous people who are born on April,. Also been counted as part of famous people who are born on April 7 1922..., Ham hanged himself in his garage in 1975 took the tracks that had! Sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive album including. Script, Stan Polley being accused of mishandling the band first, Polley seemed like the sort of shrewd well-connected... Really miss the great musical groups of the Iveys performance, and hed play song... His wing email, and hed play a song but not necessarily from Pete Pete. Was widely alleged that he had been protgs of the eponymous albums songs were written under pressure the. Were uncomfortable with the quartet short on material, many of the project which! Went over like mad you with great news, content and offers a singer, writer and just well he... Ham and drummer Mike Gibbins, plus Liverpudlians Molland and tommy Evans, the band to sign a New contract... Life by hanging on November 19, 1983 were content to remain semi-professional out!, sit with me or the other guys, and hed play a.. Or suggest changes to the Beatles wing had the added benefit of allowing Badfinger to collaborate with their bigger-than-life....

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